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The company has flagged the huge potential of this market, where “247 million men of legal drinking age” tune in to English Premier League football.

The group, whose spirits cabinet includes Johnnie Walker whisky and Smirnoff vodka, posted a 1.8 per cent rise in organic sales – but operating profit was down by £156million to £1.7billion due to adverse currency movements and disposals.

Shares fell 25½p to 1841½p.

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TSB goes from strength to strength

TSB chief Paul Pester said the challenger bank had gone “from strength to strength” in 2015 despite falling profits as it focused on increasing lending and winning new customers.

The group, bought by Spain’s Banco Sabadell for £1.7billion last year, grew customer lending by 22 per cent. Over 1,000 new clients signed up every day while 6.8 per cent of all UK consumers opening a new bank account or switching chose TSB. Management pre-tax profit, which removes the distortion of one-off items, fell 21 per cent to £105.7million.

Pester said: “We have made great strides. We are well ahead in delivering our growth strategy.”

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Regulators to look further into HBSO

CITY regulators will investigate the role of certain senior managers in the near collapse of HBOS in 2008 during the financial crisis.

The Financial Conduct Authority and the Bank of England’s Prudential Regulation Authority will assess if the bosses should be banned from working in banking.

The watchdogs, which did not identify the former managers, said the probe would “determine whether or not any prohibition proceedings should be commenced against them”.

They cannot impose criminal penalties as too much time had elapsed.

Andrew Tyrie of parliament’s treasury select committee said: “Overdue doesn’t capture it. It has taken a heap of pressure from parliament to secure action.”

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FirstGroup lose out after flooding

SHARES in bus operator FirstGroup slammed 12 per cent into reverse as recent flooding and a drop in shoppers on Britain’s high streets left profit forecasts washed up.

The FTSE 250 transport group has also seen demand for its rail services slow following the Paris terror attacks last November, while in the US a tighter labour market has led to “acute” driver shortages and higher costs in its First Student division that operates yellow school buses.

It said its outlook for operating profit this year is “slightly lowered” by “challenging” trading over the third quarter. Shares fell 12¼p to 90p.